Todd Staples has held leadership roles in two of the state’s most iconic industries — oil and agriculture.

But he started from more humble beginnings, raised in a hardworking East Texas family where everyone was expected to pitch in. His father did factory shift work and his mother owned several businesses while he was growing up, including a flower shop and a beauty shop. The family spent time working cattle on their ranch and doing work like tree trimming — there were no Saturdays off.

“It’s a great way to grow up,” Staples said. “I had great parents that just worked hard, expected their children to do their part, and supported you whatever you did.”

He attended Trinity Valley Community College for a year and then went to Texas A&M University, where he admits his grades were less than impressive his first semester. Staples didn’t want to bring those grades home again to his parents, so he started scheduling 8 a.m. classes that forced him out of bed early. He ultimately graduated with honors with a degree in agricultural economics.

Staples heads the Texas Oil & Gas Association, the trade group that was founded in 1919 to represent petroleum interests. It’s the oldest and largest such group in Texas.

“When oil and gas is not doing well, it impacts every sector of the economy, because the ripple effect is so, so, so big, and so broad,” Staples said.

He’s a familiar face in Texas politics. Staples served as a state representative and state senator before winning two terms as the state’s agriculture commissioner starting in 2006. In 2014 he ran for lieutenant governor, but lost in the Republican primary to current Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Staples stepped down in late 2014 as agriculture commissioner to take the top spot at TXOGA, where he gets to “work some of the biggest job creators in the world.”

He splits his time between Austin and his native Anderson County.

Staples recently sat down with the Express-News to talk about everything from small town politics to the North American Free Trade Agreement and a race for the last taxi in Midland, where the Permian Basin oil field is booming again.

Turn to Monday’s Business section or click here to read an edited transcript of the interview on ExpressNews.com.

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Quick facts on Todd Staples

What’s your morning routine: I usually get up about 10 o’clock or so and then... No, I’m teasing. On a good day when I can set my schedule, I can get up about 5 o’clock. Make coffee, read the Bible, read the news, and then dive into emails. When it’s a good day, that’s how it works.

What are you reading right now: We saw “The Darkest Hour” with Winston Churchill and I’ve got a Churchill biography in my office library at home, and I want to start reading that. I'm in the middle of “The Quest” by Daniel Yergin. That is a very long marathon book. But it’s good. I just finished “Room for Doubt” by Ben Young.

What was your first job: We worked at the farm on the cows, we did tree work growing up. I worked at a little retail store in high school for a couple of years.

Do you have a favorite restaurant: I eat out so much, my best thing to do is eat at home. My wife’s a great cook; I love to fire up the grill. That’s what I prefer, but that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like.

What is your passion or hobby, outside of work: I love to quail hunt. Don’t do it enough. I’m a terrible golfer, but I like doing that. And then I really like going to the farm and working the cows, and doing that kind of thing. I enjoy that very much.

If you could have some totally different career than the career you had, what would you do: Full-time cowboy.